33 Not the first one

Grasped by terror, Wakana doesn't move. He shows a wide grin, revealing his canine teeth. His round and red eyes shine with concupiscence. The demon smells like he has taken dips in the sewer. She resists the urge to throw up. She quavers when his long wraps around her body. She can feel the sickening greed and lust in the demon's body.

She looks straight at Morita Aiko who has a self-absorbed smile on her face. Her eyes have the same lust as the demon. Wakana wonders if the demon is controlling her. She came to the apartment alone at day time. The demon could have done something to her.

"Morita San, snap out of it." Wakana yells at her, "You can't let this demon control you."

Morita Aiko says nothing. She only laughs as if she heard a joke. Wakana can't understand why she's being like this. She can't move. Her bag is gone. She can't see it anywhere.

The demon tightens arms around her, lifting her up a little above the floor as he rubs his crotch against her firm arse. She squirms in his arms, disgusted. His rotten wet breath brush against her ear. The demon looks at Morita Aiko and tells her with a shrill voice, "Aiko Chan, you got me a good one this time."

Wakana blinks in surprise when she hears those words. She widens her eyes and meets Morita Aiko's eyes. Did Morita Aiko bring someone else like the way she brought her tonight? She sees her mouth moving without making a sound.

Tick... Tick... Tick... Tick...

It is becoming quieter as the sound of the clock is getting louder in the room. Morita Aiko's eyes begin to change. They are almost inhuman and red like the demon's eyes. The white areas of her eyes are filled with blood. Wakana can hear her increasing heartbeat.

When Morita Aiko stops, the room is filled with a faint dirty yellow light and the floor is full of a complex circle with glowing red ancient characters. The demon lays down Wakana in the middle of the circle and eyes her body with hunger. Wakana feels goosebumps under her skin. She needs to escape. She would rather die than being r@ped by a demon. She turns her head toward Morita Aiko and looks at her with misty eyes. "Why, Morita San?"

"You are not the first one I brought here." Morita Aiko takes off her clothes and shoes. "After that night, I looked into the demonic arts of witchcraft. He awakened my ancient bloodline, but I still lacked power. I wanted to become powerful. I realized if this demon could take away the witch's powers, then why can't I? I came back here around twelve years ago."

She chuckles. Wakana's face is white and sweaty. Delighted, she continues, "The demon and I made an agreement. I will bring people like you to him and he will give me the three-fourth powers that he took from them. I looked for many others like you. They believed me just like you did. I brought them here just like I brought you here."

It's not easy to find the asleep or half-asleep witches. She wouldn't let the demon go free. So, she looked for those witches by herself. She brought twenty-three women here. The bedroom of this apartment is full of their bones.

"Morita San, please stop," Wakana begs her when the demon tears off her clothes. She can't lift a finger. Morita Aiko must have done something to her. "What do you gain if you get the power? It is not worth it."

"The power might not be worthy for you." Morita Aiko takes out a small dagger from her bag. She walks to Wakana and sits down beside her. Wakana's wails are annoying to her ears. "If I didn't need your screams, I would have closed your mouth permanently."

"I won't scream." Wakana spats at her. "No matter what you do, I won't scream."

"We will see about that." Morita Aiko grabs her wrist. She presses her thumb to check for the vein before she runs the knife on her skin. Wakana winces in pain and bites her lower lip. The blood slowly covers the lines of the circle on the floor. The clock's ticking is getting slower. The demon spreads Wakana's legs. She shuts her eyes and turns her head to the right.

***

It has started.

The man flicks the ashes once before he smokes. He looks up at the closed window of the fifth floor. He can't intervene until she reaches that moment. He takes a glance at the five of swords card. She has been betrayed. She's not wearing the bracelet either. Some things cannot be avoided.

The laws of heaven are stifling. He cannot let her die. But, he cannot prevent bad things from happening in her life either. He has to wait until he finds the opportunity.

He turns his head to the right when he senses a movement. He frowns when he sees another man walking toward the apartment building.

Only around ten meters away from the invisible man, Minami Sei stops walking and gazes at the same window on the fifth floor. He sighs and dials Wakana's number. He hears a mechanical cold voice telling him that the number cannot be connected. She hasn't left the apartment building yet. Then, where did she go? Worried, he enters the apartment building.

She had been speaking strange things earlier. He only trusts facts. Morita Aiko had spoken strange things to Wakana too. Even if Wakana has her reasons to believe what she believes, he has known Wakana for a long time. He can vouch for her. It's not the same for Morita Aiko. If that woman believes Wakana, either they are both crazy or Morita Aiko is planning something. He only trusts fact. He doesn't trust Morita Aiko at all.

Standing in front of apartment number 512, he leans closer to the door. There's no sound. Pursing his lips in anticipation, he pushes the door and finds the apartment empty. Did they not come here? He reaches for the light switch. It's not working. He walks to the bedroom and kitchen. There's a harrowing silence in the apartment.

They are not here. He's about to leave when his foot hits something hard. He looks down and picks up the bag. He empties the contains on the floor. He sees salt packets and a knife. There is no doubt that this bag belongs to Wakana. So, she came here. Where did they go? He opens the window and looks outside. It's nearly three of the morning. Something isn't right. He must find her.